Minn. neighbor of commander in Nazi unit shocked

The neighbor of a former commander of a Nazi SS-led unit living in Minnesota says the man has lived quietly and always been friendly and considerate.

An Associated Press investigation found that Michael Karkoc served as a top commander in the Ukrainian Self-Defense Legion during World War II. The unit is accused of wartime atrocities. The investigation showed Karkoc told American authorities that he performed no military service during the war.

No one answered the door at Karkoc's northeast Minneapolis house on Friday morning.

Gordon Gnasdoskey, who lives next door, says he's known the 94-year-old Karkoc casually for many years and is shocked to learn of his past. Gnasdoskey, the grandson of a Ukrainian immigrant, says their neighborhood has many Slavic, Ukranian and Polish immigrants and their descendants.

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